Way Back WhensDay: Colorforms

Smurf Colorforms
Photo from mentalfloss.com

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Now days, kids have hand held video games, tablets, and iPods to keep them occupied.  The art of play and use of imagination is skipping a generation.  But this blog isn't about that, it's about one of my personal favorites from my childhood: Colorforms.

The toy dates back more than 60 years.  It surprised me to learn that Colorforms are actually still being made, and there's even a website for the toy.  Click here to learn more or how to order them.  Long story short, Colorforms were characters, shapes, and other objects made of vinyl.  They came in a box, that included a flat board with some sort of "scene" on it.  You could stick the vinyl pieces all over the board and come up with different scenarios, because the pieces didn't permanently stick.

Dress the Muppets
Photo from muppetwikia.com

I'd spend hours playing with Colorforms.  I remember having several different sets, including Scooby Doo, the Smurfs, and the Muppet Show.  My brother was more into the action hero sets and had things like the Incredible Hulk, the Super Adventure crew, and GI Joe.  It was always entertaining to have Hulk enter the Smurf village, or Scooby go toe to toe with Batman.

I'm glad to see the product is still going strong.  They're revamped and come in 3D form.  I wish now that I'd known these still existed, I think my kids would have loved them when they were younger too.

Miss Weather

You can find them in southern Illinois (or anywhere online) at My Favorite Toys.  Just click here to find their website.  They have sets in the $12 range that include Miss Weather Dress Up and Silly Faces.  There's also a retro version for sale at $29.95

Check out the video below for a complete history told in a fun and entertaining way.